When Life is Like a Tilt-A-Whirl

Do you ever feel like you just got off an amusement park ride that was spinning too fast? That's kinda how I'm feeling, a little wobbly, as I try to regain my balance this week.

As many of you know, my mom ended up in the hospital for multiple blood clots in both of her lungs the day I last posted. We're so thankful for the gift of more life together. A friend, who is also a nurse, told me yesterday that 80% of people with pulmonary embolisms don't make it to the hospital.

Mom was admitted on Wednesday morning, November 18th and stayed until Wednesday night, November 25th. We were told she'd be there two nights but each day a new door opened to the unexpected and her release date was extended.

The doctors told us she had a blood clot, most likely in her leg, that dislodged and went through her heart before it shattered into several smaller clots into both lungs. They immediately put her on Coumadin, a blood thinner, to prevent more clotting.

She was supposed to go home that Friday evening, but she developed severe lower left back pain and a fever. They put her on morphine to ease her pain and by the time the Dr came to see her Sat morning, she was feeling a bit better. She self-diagnosed that she'd pulled a muscle doing her breathing exercises and her Dr. believed her.

Unfortunately, I was not at the hospital when all this happened. By the time I got there she was "morphed" out of pain and in a deep sleep most of Saturday. Eventually the morphine wore off and I was able to see the excruciating pain she had. It was classic kidney stone symptoms so we ordered another CT scan and they found a 5mm stone in her left kidney.

On Monday they decided to do surgery to remove it since it was too large to pass. But when they went in to start the surgery they discovered she had a severe kidney infection so they had to stop the procedure. Her fever continued to increase and some concerns also developed about pneumonia so they decided to keep her until Wednesday.

By that morning, my mom was planning our Thanksgiving day menu and her escape!

Fortunately, they determined she was well enough to go home and we all got to be together for Thanksgiving day and weekend. She's moved in with us for at least this week and we'll see each day how she is doing and what plans we need to make. She will also be having surgery this week to remove the kidney stone, we hope.

This past week, I have felt like my life was tilting and whirling at high speed!

Between dropping being at the hospital with my mom as much as possible since I am the only family in town, being her hospital care advocate, keeping other family members posted on her condition, finding someone to watch Aster every day, worrying about her being confused because her new mommy was gone, arranging carpool for the boys and trying to keep their schedules as normal as possible... I have felt totally out of sorts.

It's been so hard to see my mom who is so energetic and spunky become pale, weak and very uncomfortable.

But oh how thankful I am that I know the One who holds my world and my days in His hands. I couldn't do it without Him. I'd be a basket case! I am so grateful I can look to Him to help me find balance today, and a new way of doing life each day as we move forward.

Has your life felt a little too much tilt and whirl lately? Is some area spinning out of control? Do you feel off balance? I know where you are and I'd love to know how I can pray for you!! Our family has been so blessed by so many prayers and so much support. We'd love to give some back to you!

Please pray for my mom

My mom called this morning at 6:45am to tell us she was having a hard time breathing and needed to go to the Emergency Room. JJ, being the rescue hero that he is, jumped in his truck and went to get her.

When they got to the ER the tests showed that her EKG was normal but her blood pressure was high. They've been doing more tests and they think she has a blood clot in her lung. They just did a CT scan and we're waiting for the results. She will be admitted soon.

I was so looking forward to today! On Wednesdays my mom has started coming over to watch Aster so I can work on my book. It's been wonderful to watch the two of them giggle and snuggle and bond. And I've gotten to spend extra time with my mom talking over lunch and enjoying Aster together during my breaks. We have enjoyed some really sweet times these past few weeks - it's amazing what Aster has brought to our lives to tie our heart strings together even tighter than they were before.

Will you please pray for my mom? Her name is Sylvia. I'll post updates on Twitter since they both feed to my blog and facebook. Thanks friends!

Worthy

I wanted to share with you a link to my friend Melissa's devotion she wrote today at P31. It is powerful and raw, beautiful and transparent. Melissa shares her story of feeling stained and ruined by sexual abuse as a child but finding redemption and worth in Christ. She is also giving away a copy of Wendy Blight's book, "Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner, on her blog. If you leave your email you will be entered to win and she'll send you a list of 10 ways you can know you are worthy of God's love.

I got back from Reno late Sunday night, and it was wonderful!! I absolutely loved the many women I met there. Kelli and Heidi, I am so proud of you for saying yes to God and stepping out in faith to do this conference! And I'm so honored God invited me to be part of what He is doing in and through you!!

Jesus' presence filled that room and each of us in such a beautiful way this weekend, revealing His heart and His plans to each in powerful and personal ways. I loved hearing the women share with me how God spoke to them individually through some part of the message, and what they were going to do to apply it in their lives. My heart was also so full of joy for two new sisters in Christ who invited Him to be their Savior Friday night.

I came home tired but energized, drained but filled, knowing He is worthy of all that I have and my life is worthy of all the He has for me. It made me want to go into this week laying it down before Him again, and asking Him to live His life through mine.

Well, I am going to go spend some time with my princess! Be sure to read Melissa's devotion here and her blog post here. No matter what happened in your past, God has hope, redemption and purpose for your future! I know because I am living proof of that promise.

Hi friends! I've been traveling today and just got to Reno with Leah! I'm speaking at a Holiday event tonight (Friday) and it starts at 7pm which is 10pm my time. Will you say a little prayer for me that my words are anointed, my thoughts are clear and that my mind and spirit are fully awake even if my body wishes it was asleep? Oh, and that I don's slur any words. That would be so good. I also have the blessing of speaking at mom's morning of encouragement tomorrow! I am so excited to be here. I just love these women we've been praying for and planning with for months!!!

If you haven't already, please be sure to read Hagere's tribute/post from Thursday. I want as many people as possible to know her story. It truly makes me cry every time I think about the way God has woven our hearts together through a precious little girl. I pray you see Jesus in each word written here. Hugs ~ Renee

Meeting Aster's Birth Mother

It was rainy and cold here Tuesday. Aster discovered the raindrops and knelt beside our back door to watch them trickle down the window and puddle on our porch. It was so, so sweet to watch her as she watched them for the first time.

There was a chill in the air, so I turned on the heat. And for some reason that created a trickle of thoughts in my mind. Thoughts about Aster's birth mom. Thoughts about how cold she must get and how she has no heat to turn on. Thoughts about how damp the one room adobe home where she lives must feel when it rains.

I felt sad and wished she was here with me in my warm house watching our beautiful little girl discover rain drops.

I thought about the day we met Hagere. I couldn't believe it had been a month that we returned from Ethiopia with Aster, and just two days before that we drove down the dusty, bumpy roads of Addis to meet her birth mom. It was a day I had prayed for and yet a day I was very nervous about.
I wondered what I should say or ask her. What would Aster want to know?

I couldn't sleep much the night before so I prayed through the early morning hours about our meeting and my concerns. Aster's paperwork said her father had abandoned them when she was 8mos pregnant, and that she could not take care of her baby, her firstborn, her only child. But I'd struggled with how Aster would feel that her birth mom put her up for adoption although she was still alive.

God reminded me how He'd provided answers to those questions earlier that week. I'd met the doctor who cared for Aster when she was hospitalized for severe malnutrition. He was amazed by her current weight and told me Aster's skin had been hanging off her bones when she was first admitted. Aster would not have survived had she not been placed for adoption. Here's a photo of what she looked like then at 6 months, weighing only 8 lbs.

Remembering how God provided answers to those troubling questions, I tucked His assurance in my heart that He would provide again as we pulled up to the orphanage where we were meeting Hagere. As we got out of the van, we were greeted by two beautiful women who took Aster and started singing and kissing her and shouting, "Aster?? This is Aster? Look, this is Aster!"

And then I saw her. Sitting quietly on the porch. Waiting. I immediately walked up to her and said hello and asked if she wanted to hold Aster. She smiled and said yes with her eyes.

Hagere, being only 28 years old, looked worn and frail. So timid. Yet peaceful.

I'm not sure what made Hagere laugh, but I loved seeing her beautiful smile.

Oh the difference a hug can make. If you click on this photo you can really see how Hagere's smile changed when I put my arm around her.

Hagere spoke very little. They explained to us that women are very subdued in the region she is from and that she is very shy. She only said she wanted to thank us and tell us that she wants Aster to be with our family. I sensed that she wanted to give us her blessing.

I told her we knew Aster was a gift from God and that we had been praying He would bring us a little girl for years. She cried.

Then she told the interpreters that she wanted us to know that she is a Christian, too. We were shocked. We had not mentioned we were Christians because we knew it's a very Muslim influenced area and it could hinder our conversation. The fact that she would use those words to describe her faith was the biggest gift Jesus could give to us in that moment.

God had answered another one of my deepest prayers! I started bawling and told her about all of you who were praying for Aster and that I knew God had a plan for her life.

She had decided to give Aster back to me at one point in our conversation. I wanted her to see Aster smile so I started playing patty cake. We talked some more, asking questions about her family and living conditions. Her cousin had brought her and he explained that Hagere's mother is still alive and Hagere lives with her along with 4 cousins and brothers in a one room mud hut.

He told us that they are very, very poor and can barely feed themselves. That is why she could not take care of Aster. He looked very sad but also very thankful to see her doing so well.
I thought she might want to see Aster's cute little toes so I took off one of her socks. Then I gave her back to Hagere and offered her a bottle to feed her.
She seemed so pensive. It seemed so unfair to me that I could provide formula when I know with all my heart this young mother would do anything to provide her baby her mother's milk. It was bittersweet to share this moment together.

But it was also beautiful.

And then our visit faded toward the end of our time together. She leaned close to hug her good-bye.

We gave Hagere a hug and then took her and her cousin to the city to catch a bus. JJ and I were so thankful for how our time together had gone. It could not have been any better. God's so good!!!

There is so much more I want to share, but this post is already so long. If you'd like to follow Aster's story and our family's journey be sure to come back, or sign up for email updates in the top right sidebar under the P31 logo where there is a place to put your email.

In the meantime, I'll be here with my beautiful girl watching raindrops and praying that Hagere knows I'm thinking about her and praying for her every time I see the rain.

The Power of Encouragement

A special "welcome" to those of you who found your way here through my Encouragement for Today devotion. I hope Steven's story touched your heart. I know if it weren't for the power of encouragement from God's Words to me and His love expressed through people, I wouldn't be who I am today.

I also know how hard it is when you don't have the gift of someone encouraging you not to give up. I have been in that longing and lonely place, too. But one day God challenged me to become for someone else what I wish I had for myself, and it changed me forever.

I pray that my blog will be a source of encouragement for you today! First, I'd like to share with you the story of sacrificial love expressed by a mother named Hagere who chose life for her baby girl. A baby she named Aster who God called our family to adopt a month ago from Ethiopia.

Hagere's story is reshaping me as a woman, wife and mom as I have seen the sacrificial love of my Savior through her. I posted the story here. I'm praying that each of you who stops by my little corner of the world will read it and hear words of encouragement spoken from your Father's heart bringing hope and courage to yours.

I also wanted to share how our family has seen the power of encouragement through our sponsorship of another Ethiopian girl named Meseret with Compassion International. She is 17 now, and was only 4 when we started sponsoring her. I'll be posting more soon about meeting her while we were in Ethiopia and seeing firsthand the amazing impact Compassion has made in her life along with our family's love, support and letters to her for 13 years.Maybe today you might consider how you could bring encouragement to a child's life through Compassion International. Click on in the blue box that says "Sponsor a Child" in my sidebar to find out more.

Blessings and prayers of encouragement for you today!

Two Boys and a Baby

I am often asked how our boys are adjusting to us having Aster in our family. And I always say, "They are crazy about her! And she adores them, too."

It is one of the sweetest blessings to see them enjoying her so much!

Here are a few changes I've noticed and loved:

Joshua and Andrew used to call shotgun in the morning and fight over who gets to sit in the front seat on the way to school. Now they "call" who gets to sit next to Aster. And at dinner they usually sit on each side. Unless she's spewing food; then no one sits next to the princess.

They used to be distracted by snacks, phone calls and after school plans with friends. Now they are distracted by the coos and calls of their baby sister. Sometimes I'll find them playing with her in the living room when they are supposed to be working on homework or housework. But I understand; I can't get enough of her either!

They used to be all about themselves during our morning rush. Now they pitch in to help because we need them more than ever. Yesterday I asked and they kindly made my coffee, got Aster dressed and loaded the car so I could get myself and Aster fed and out the door on time.

Sometimes I overhear them talking about her and I can tell they're surprised by how much fun she is. Like yesterday on the way home from school they went back and forth: "Aster is so happy and sweet." "Yea, just think of what she'd be doing if she were still in the orphanage." "She'd be crying." "I'm glad she's with us."

Last night at dinner, they were reminding me of how sad I was when another adoption referral fell through last fall and how I cried because we didn't get to adopt two other little girls. And then Andrew pointed to Aster who was in my arms laughing and playing and said, "See mom, she was the one God had already picked out for our family."

A blog and a baby - can I have both?

I've struggled almost daily with not being able to blog much since we got home from Ethiopia with Aster. Not because I don't love every minute with my new little girl. I'm seriously more crazy about her than I ever thought I could be this quickly! And not because I feel pressure to blog.

It's because I don't want to give up this part of me. I miss it.

I've tried again and again to write a post - in my head and on the page of my heart. But then that little bundle of sweetness decides to wake up or make a messy diaper or do something cute that totally distracts me.

And I am starting to feel like maybe all my adult conversation words have been deleted from my brain. I still have the basics like" yes" and "I don't know" and "when will you be home?"

But the rest have been converted to cooing and sounding out "ma ma" and "da da" and "no - don't touch." Do you know if it's scientifically proven that sleep deprivation and an abundance of dirty diaper fumes affects the part of your brain that strings letters into words and words into sentences?

My days are not full of words anymore but sweet snapshots of the moments we have with our sweet girl. I can't tell you how many times I pull her close, right up into my face, and take a picture with the click of my heart.

I am praying for a new way of journeying to the heart of God with you in this new season of life with a baby. I want to get creative and have a plan. Maybe have certain topics I write about like Monday's for moms and participate in things like "Tuesdays Unwrapped" and other ideas that could give my currently unstructured blog/brain/life a little form.

In some ways, I feel like my blog is turning into a scrapbook and for some reason I am hesitant about that. Yet I want to capture the memories and stories of Aster and I don't have time to blog and scrapbook. Plus I just signed a book contract (yay!) and will need to reserve some creative thinking for this bigger-than-me assignment.

I know God's got a plan so I'm just asking Him to show me what it is. I thought you might have suggestions? Any thoughts on what might work for me? Topics you like to talk about? Do you get tired of seeing all these photos of Aster? Is that the dumbest question a mom can ask?

Since I'm challenged in the 'thinking' department these days I was thinking you could brainstorm with me.

Hugs,

Friendships are the Flowers In Life's Garden

I remember reading somewhere that we should plant the garden of our lives with the beautiful flowers of friendship. This bouquet reminds me of the gift of friendship and how important it has been during the past several months.


One of the things I've loved about the past two weeks since we brought Aster home has been getting to see many friends who have prayed for her! I've loving sharing with Aster some of the sweetest flowers in my life's garden. I wish I had photos of each friend that has stopped by to see us or who we've visited. Unfortunately I didn't capture them all on camera but if you were one of them and you have photos please email them to me. Here are a few that I did get:

The first day after we got home, Lysa and Hope came by with a big pot of Chicken Tortilla soup, Redneck surprise for dessert, along with lots of love and kisses! Holly brought us that beautiful bouquet of pink flowers above and her sweet smile. We had such a fun time visiting and getting Aster to giggle!

She things Aunt Lysa is pretty funny!

It was so sweet to see Hope holding Aster again after being the first one to hold our baby girl in Ethiopia the week after we had gotten our referral for Aster.

Holly and Aster playing acrobats. She loves to fall backwards.

My mom came by that night after work to meet Aster for the first time.
I love this photo!

Aster met her cousins Alex and Sara who came to visit the next weekend.

Sara loved playing with her new baby cousin!

Last week we made our first visit to the Proverbs 31 office.
Here are Wendy Pope and Teri Bucholtz lovin' on my sweet girl who is wearing her princess outfit that Micca gave to her. Can you see the crowns on her shirt and jeans?

Wendy's daughter Blair and Aster bonded immediately!

Ahh, isn't that the sweetest photo of two beautiful princesses?
Melissa Taylor and my girl!

Tracie Miles holding the little girl she'd been praying for for months!

Sweet Samantha just couldn't seem to get Teri to let her have a turn. I guess we'll have to go back again and have more play time in the P31 lobby.

Last night I was thinking about how all of my friends (including you!) and my beautiful flowers have really helped me the past two weeks. Both have brought encouragement, joy and laughter to the hard places of this new transition. It's been more thank wonderful to have Aster home but I'd be living in denial if I didn't admit it has been hard to get used to all the changes and balance all the needs.

Yet in the midst of trash cans overflowing with dirty diapers, crusty babyfood stuck to me and my counter tops, rice cereal flakes scattered across the kitchen, emails and calls unanswered, toys and laundry everywhere, days without a shower and sleepless nights - my beautiful bouquet of flowers has sat in the center of my kitchen and each day it catches my attention and brightens my outlook.

And just like those flowers, God has also provided friends who have prayed, sent notes, brought meals, left comments on Facebook or my blog and stopped by to meet Aster and keep me company. Both have helped me find peace in the chaos and joy in the clutter.

So today I'm thanking God for the friendships and the flowers He's provided to brighten my life's garden these days.

Welcome Home Aster!

My wonderful girlfriends Sharon, Bev, Alli, Erin and Erika (all from my Bible study group at church) hosted a big homecoming/baby shower for Aster at our house this past Saturday. We were lavished with love and gifts, but the best gift of all was having so many friends stop by to meet Aster and celebrate our precious little girl with us!

My friends Heather and Sharon, and Sharon's daughter Morgan, made this beautiful banner with sparkles and all to welcome us home at the airport last weekend.

I just had to save it, so we decided to hang it up over our living room for the party. It's so pretty! I'm not sure when I'll take it down..maybe Christmas!

This is the first bow I put in her hair. She looked so special and pretty that day.

The whole time I opened gifts, I was surrounded by sweet girls who also served as personal assistants.

That is Alli and Erika to the right and then Pa Saw to the left. Pa Saw is Melissa and Mark's adopted daughter (also in this photo with their baby girl Marissa). Pa Saw and her sister Moo Nay (in the photo above this one) are Karen refugees from Thailand.

That is Aster's big-girl cousin, Sara! She drove in with her mom from Raleigh. She loved helping Aster discover her new lights and music learning walker.

I love how Aster is leaning over to see and listen to me. Isnt' that the cutest little outfit I am holding from my friend Jennifer!

My friend Alli's friend Laura, who I met an a nail salon, gave Aster her kid's almost new soft plush rocking snail. It is adorable! Thank you Laura.

Us girls in the kitchen chattin' it up! That's my beautiful friend Erika.

My sweet friend Erin feeding Aster with two sweety pies nearby, Madeline and Emma.

Here are Madeline and Emma's dad and mom, Jason and Sharon Epperly. They brought home their little boy, Jonas, from the Ukraine last February.

More fun toys!

And cute clothes!

Ahh, I love this one. What a cutie pie in that pink hat. I could eat that little fluff of cotton candy!

Micca Campbell, my surprise! She and her husband, Pat, drove 7.5 hours all the way from Nashville, TN for the party. She just had to meet Aster before she got too big to hold and snuggle. I was so happy to see her!

My very sneaky sweet friend, LeAnn Rice, coordinated the surprise! Here she is with Micca in Aster's room.

Aster's Room ~God's sweet gift to me and my little girl!
When we started our adoption process two years ago we prayed long and hard about moving. We loved our old house but we needed room from more. Right when the market was crashing God sold our house in 21 days and led us to this one. When we found the house we now live in (which was a model home), it was completely decorated with a beautiful princess room. Even the window treatments were here! My friend Pam loaned me that beautiful crib that looks like it was made for this room. All I added was the pink princess fluff!

What says girly more than pearls and diamond rings!? Here are my my sweet sisters-in-Christ, Megan and Erin, who happen to also be sisters with each other!

As I showed Aster's room to my friends, I shared with them how we are going stencil one of my favorite verses inside that diamond ring above the bed. It's going to say ~ "You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3"

My friend Jodi is giving me the gift of painting Aster's dresser to match the crib. Won't that be so pretty? I love, love, love this room. Sometimes I just go up there and lay on one of the beds and pretend I'm the princess!

My sweet guys were a little overwhelmed with all the girl-ness going on downstairs. But we caught them watching and enjoying it all from a distance. They are such great big brothers!!

Coming Soon..

Hi bloggy friends! I miss you! I have so much to tell you about our first week at home with Aster. I posted some updates on Twitter and shared some photos on Facebook last week. Hopefully you (my bloggy friends) have seen some of those in my new sidebar Twitter scroll gadget. That seems to be the new best way to stay connected between posts.

I knew having a baby would take a lot of time, but boy I don't think you can ever prepare for the kind of time it really takes. It's all so worth it and I love every minute I have with her. I just wish I could do ALL that I want to do. My goal is to get photos and updates posted before I go to bed tonight.

While you wait for me to come back you can hop here to Micca's blog to see some cute photos and read about her surprise visit to Charlotte to meet Aster at our Welcome Home Baby shower/party this past weekend.

Coming soon...more photos and memories!

Our Incredible Journey Home!

Thank you so much for praying for our family as we traveled to bring our adopted baby girl home from Ethiopia! It was a very long trip and we are completely exhausted, but we're doing really well! It honestly could not have gone any better. Aster was an amazing little traveler!

The only bump along the way was that our flight from Frankfurt to Washington, DC was delayed so we missed our connecting flight to Charlotte, which meant an additional 4.5 hour layover. We ended not get home until after 12:30am Sunday morning. But Jesus was right there by our side keeping us company and helping us enjoy the incredible journey we had coming home. Here are are few fun memories:

Aster loved the airport with all the people, lights and sounds she'd never experienced. Here we are filling out customs paperwork and eating dinner at midnight before we get on the plane.

Getting ready to board Aster's first plane ride! Can't you tell she is so excited?

Playing with her big brothers on the plane.

She loves the sounds of plastic spoons beating on bowls, and the fact that Joshua's face turns purple when he puts it on his nose.
Sleeping in the bassinet in front of our seat. Sweeeet!

We found a great restaurant with a shopping center all around it at the Frankfurt airport. Eating, shopping, changing diapers, walking around, changing diapers and eating again. What else could we do to pass time in the airport for 6 hours?

"Okay, I'm done! Thanks for trying but peek-a-boo isn't even enough to entertain me anymore."

"See even daddy is ready for a nap."

"Me too! Thank you mommy for being my bed."

"What are Joshua and Andrew doing? Writing books? Why aren't they tired?"

"Oh now I see! When I wake up they go to sleep."

"Why is Daddy smiling so big? We just missed our flight and I am pooped!"

"Okay, well if you play with me maybe I'll smile, too."
"Oooh, I like this play pen mommy made for me!"

"Oh, it's not only a playpen but a baby bed, too. What's mommy doing in here?"

"Who are all these smiling and huggy people with balloons and welcome home signs? Shouldn't they be in bed? It's so late! I guess they are really excited that I am here!"

"Hmmm. Who is this? He's really snuggly! They say he's our pastor but I think we could be related!"

God has done a beautiful work in Aster's heart since we left Ethiopia and headed home. She is SO HAPPY and feeling so secure in our love. She is laughing and playing, making new sounds and being so cuddly! It has truly been a transformation before our very own eyes. She is already a display of HIS splendor, which is the promises God gave me for her life exactly two years ago today!

Heading Home

This is the view outside our hotel room. I've looked at that tall unfinished cement building this week and wondered why it was never completed. I wonder also about those who live in the homes below and their unfinished dreams. It breaks my heart as we get ready to leave, knowing there are so many more who need our help. But for today, God has asked us to be part of one mother's dream to give her daughter a hope and future with a family who would love her and take care of her in a way she never could. I can't wait to tell you more about her story.

We are getting ready to leave for the airport now. Just in case you want to know where we'll be for the next 24-48 hours, here is our itenerary:

Saturday (Ethiopia)
Leave: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia @ 1:35am - 7 hour flight
Arrive: Frankfurt, Germany @ 7:35am - 6 hour layover
Leave: Frankfurt, Germany @ 1:15pm - 7 hour flight

Arrive: Wash-DC @ 3:45pm - go through customs

UPDATE: Leave: Wash-DC @ Charlotte at 9:50pm which puts us home by midnight we hope!
flight delayed getting here so we missed the flight to Charlotte at 5:05pm

Saturday (Charlotte)
Arrive: Charlotte @ 11:28pm (United 7261)

Andrew just asked if we could all pray together. It was so precious! Then when we were done he asked me to email and blog and facebook our friends to ask them to pray. I think he's a little anxious about this very long part of our journey to get home, and he's concerned Aster will be crying. Right now she is sound asleep and hopefully she will be for a while.

We'd all treasure your prayers. My biggest concern is our 6 hour layover (can't leave the airport because we don't have visas for Germany) so we are praying God will bless us with something really good that helps us pass the time - like sleep, a movie, good food.

This has been an amazing and faith stretching yet God revealing week. I can't wait to write and share with you all of the things God did and tell you about all of the people we met. We prayed we would see Jesus in Ethiopia and we definitely did!!!

Roll Back the Cameras - Monday thru Wednesday

I was so hoping to post photos and share the happenings of each day in Ethiopia as they happened. But much to my dismay, that didn't happen. I am not exactly sure what happened but we think it was severe altitude sickness and a stomach bug. We've been really, really sick for the past two days. So let me go back and fill you in...

We checked out of our hotel Monday morning as planned. We had a rough start that day with Joshua and me feeling very nauseas and Andrew losing his breakfast 4 times (is that a good way to say it without being gross?). I updated our blog and facebook, asking friends to pray, and by 1pm we were doing much better.

We went to see Aster and took her to the doctor at the orphanage. He told us she has pneumonia and put her on an antibiotic. I was so glad we were there to make sure she got medicine. Then we took her with us to the guest house we had checked into that is near the orphanage. She was feeling a little better and we had a good day filled with lots of family bonding!

Here are some of my favorite memories:

Now what girl wouldn't love this much attention?

The sweet thing is that these photos are not posed. I walked in and saw our new daughter being adored by the three most important guys in her life - three Godly (young) menwho already love her so much.
Our original plan was to have Aster all day and let her sleep in her normal room that night with her nannies. But Joshua really wanted to keep her with us, so we did.

1am feeding - Daddy and his girl

I am so glad we had this night together. It was such a sweet gift from God. He knew what the next two days would hold. We started feeling sick on our stomachs again and on top of that, we didn't get any sleep Monday night due to an orchestra of barking dogs outside our window ALL night long. And I do mean, ALL NIGHT!

Tuesday morning we woke up very sick. I lost my breakfast and felt awful but we were scheduled to leave at 8:30 for our visit with Meseret, our Compassion child. I was determined not to let the enemy rob us or her of that. It was so important that we see her. I knew she was waiting for us, so we pushed through.

This is Meseret (far left) with her mom, brother, aunt, cousin and grandfather standing in front of the entrance to her home where they all live.

After our visit with Meseret, we went downhill fast. We knew we couldn't go back to the guest house because of the barking dogs and our desperate need for sleep. So our Compassion escort drove us to a hotel with air conditioning and sound proof windows. We were too sick to take care of Aster so we had to leave her at the orphanage.

It was so hard but as JJ wisely reminded us all, like they instruct you on an airplane when you are traveling with a child, you have to get your oxygen first before you can help your child. So we've been getting rest and trying to recuperate. We have been flat on our backs since yesterday at 5pm, other than a brief periodof semi-strength that got us to our Embassy appointment this morning to get Aster's visa.

We still can't eat much. We tried soup tonight but it didn't go well. So we're still living on bottled water and pinches of croissants. Hoping for some really good rest tonight and at least a little breakfast tomorrow. We are meeting with Aster's birthmother at 11am Ethiopia time (Thursday), which is about 3am at home. I know it will be very emotional but also very important.

Again, God's strength and grace will get us through. And then we pray and hope we'll be able to spend the day with our little girl!

Meeting Aster

My baby girl and me!

Our meeting with Aster this morning got bumped to 3pm this afternoon. It was a day of anticipation and also much needed rest. We actually went back to bed after breakfast and slept until 2pm. It was just what we needed!

It's what Aster needed too. When we got to the orphanage we found out she had a fever and a really bad cough. Two of her caretakers said she had the flu. This was very concerning with all that we went through last week with Andrew getting so sick, but I knew God wasn't surprised. I was so thankful we were taking Tamiflu as a precaution, which meant we could hold her without concern if she coughed on us.

She was so lethargic and and warm. I kicked into "mommy" mode asking them what her temperature was. if she'd been seen by a doctor and if anyone had listened to her lungs. They tried hard to reassure me that she was ok but I didn't have peace about it until the nurse came in and took her temperature. It was 100.4 under her arm. Then they handed me a baby Tylenol suppository to insert in her little bottom, and that was my introduction to mommy 101!

Bless her heart, she was so sleepy and unhappy. Not exactly the best condition for a baby who is being bombarded by the love and affection of four people she's never seen who act like they've known her forever! She kept looking at us like we were crazy. But we didn't care; we just kept holding her and loving on her.
Aster took an afternoon nap while we went to get something to eat and then we took her for a walk around the compound as we toured the orphanage. She wasn't happy at all and eventually started crying so we took her back to the baby area. That is when she started reaching for her two nannies. It was so sweet to see how much she loved them and found comfort in their arms.

As much as that could hurt my feelings, it TOTALLY didn't! I was so thankful she had bonded with them and was having separation anxiety. That is such a healthy emotion for a child who is being adopted. That assures us that she is able to bond emotionally and not too long from now she will feel that way about us.

The only thing I was concerned about is that Aster would not smile. Not at all. Not for anyone. No matter what we tried of how hard the caretakers tried. It broke my heart and made me wonder if something is wrong. Even if there is, I know God is sovereign over that too.

Aster is ours. God chose us for her, and her for us. That is one thing I know for sure.

God knew what I was thinking and wondering in those quiet places in my heart and He gave me a quick glance into the possibility of her smile. Right before bedtime I was feeding her a bottle and she started crying. She was looking around the room for Amanish. I gave Aster to her and she started playing with her and making her smile. Such a gift to this momma's heart!!


We decided it was best for Aster to get to know us over time and let her transition into our family so she is spending the night at the orphanage. We will go back there first thing in the morning and spend the whole day with her there. I can't wait to watch God transform her hesitant heart into a heart of joy and security because she knows she belongs to us, and ultimately that will lead her to the Love she longs for because she belongs to HIM!

Update: Please pray. Andrew is sick on his stomach. Joshua and I are also very nauseous. It was a long night with not much sleep. Took tamiflu on empty stomachs so praying that is the cause. Headed to orphanage and checking into guest house there. May not have internet the rest of the week but we'll try. Hugs!!!

We Made It to Ethiopia!!

We are here! A little exhausted but we made it. I can't believe I'm actually typing these words. We are in Ethiopia! We are in Africa!!

It was an amazing day of smooth travels. Only God and prayer could have paved the way for such an uneventful international trip that took almost 24 hours. The only little glitch we had was in Dulles when the Lufthansa service desk asked for our United flight baggage claim tickets and we didn't have them.

They were on our boarding pass stubs in the seat pocket of the plane we just got off. It created a little stir and a lot of stress. I decided to twitter a prayer request and pray God would help them follow us to Germany and Africa. When we got here tonight there they were, all of our bags, waiting for us!

I love seeing God in the details. Like how He provided our friend Angela to drive us to the airport and how patient she was with our delays and crazy morning. How He kept pressing on my heart to go to Target before we left to print photos of Aster and our family so I could create a photo album for her birth mom and Meseret to give them this week. How that put me behind getting ready this morning but it ended up not mattering because when we got to the airport, there were no lines at the ticket desk, at security or even at the restaurant we went to for lunch.

Now, I'm not gonna lie. It was stressful and very, very long. Just traveling with four people on three flights for almost 24 hours with pnly 3-4 hours of very interrupted sleep is enough to make anybody irritable. We tried our best to give each other lots of grace but we had a few opportunities to practice the power of apology. But other than our exhaustion, it was truly an amazing day!

Another huge blessing God provided was our lodging tonight and tomorrow night. We are staying at a nice hotel that is owned by a friend's family that we met through our friends Butch and Mandy. It is such a gift from God to be here. They have taken such good care of us from the time our feet stepped onto Ethiopian soil. We will get a good night's rest here and then go to see Aster in the morning at the orphanage which we believe is about 30 minutes away from here.

We just had dinner and now we're going to bed. It's 3pm in North Carolina but 10:00pm here. When we got here it was lunch time according to our bodies and dinner time according to Ethiopia's schedule so that worked out well. I have more photos to share but blogger is a little slow so I'll try to post them tomorrow.

Most important of all will be our first family photos with Aster. We can't wait to see and hold our little Ethioipian princess!

We're On Our Way!!!

We are at the Charlotte airport getting ready to board our flight to Dulles in Washington, DC. Then we will get on another flight to Frankfurt, Germany. That flight is 7.5 hours. We'll be there for 2-3 hours and then get on another 7.5 hour flight to Addis in Ethiopia!!

Our whole itinerary is listed below on my Tuesday blog post so you can follow us along.

I'll post updates as much as I can. Thanks for taking this journey with us through your prayers and excitement. We have been SO incredibly blessed by each of you and all your notes.

One very excited soon-to-be Aster's mommy!